Cigarette disposal device



Jan. 15, 1957 e, A. ALBERT CIGARETTE DISPOSAL DEVICE Filed Dec.

- ""I'I'I'n'l INVENTOR. 6501965 4. 4A 558 United States Patent This invention relates tocigarettedisposal devices, and

more particularly :to a device for extinguishingcigarettes and for depositing :the extinguished cigarettes into a suit- =able receptacle.

The main object of the invention is to provide a-novel and improved cigarette disposal device suitable for use on motor vehicles and in other locations, wherever it is necessary to have conveniently available a means for extinguishing a cigarette and disposing of same, said device being simple in construction, being easy to operate, and being safe to use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cigarette disposal device especially suitable for use on vehicles, such as automobiles, airplanes, railroad trains, and the like, said device being inexpensive to to fabricate, being easy to install, greatly reducing fire hazards from cigarettes, and being durable in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a motor vehicle instrument panel provided with an ash tray drawer having an improved cigarette disposal device, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to Figure 2, but showing the cigarette disposal device in inverted position for depositing a cigarette extinguished thereby in the associated ash tray drawer.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a vertical support, such as the instrument panel of a motor vehicle, the instrument panel being provided with an aperture 12 in which is slidably positioned an ash tray drawer 13. The drawer has side walls formed with grooves 14 in which lugs 15 secured to the opposite sides of the aperture 12 on the panel 11 engage, whereby the drawer 13 is guided for inward and outward movement with respect to the panel 11.

As will be readily apparent, the aperture 12 extends a substantial distance above the top plane of the drawer 13, for a purpose presently to be described.

As will be apparent from Figure 1, the drawer 13 is provided with the vertical front wall 16 projecting laterally on opposite sides of the respective side walls of the drawer, the laterally projecting portions of the front wall 16 being receivable in recesses 17 provided in panel 11 at the lower portions of the respective side margins of aperture 12. The guide lugs 15 are provided in the edges of the respective recessed wall portions 17, as shown in Figure 1, said lugs 15 slidably engaging in the channels 14 provided in the side walls of the ash tray drawer 13.

Designated at 18 is a first rectangular plate member which is hinged to the top edge of the drawer front wall 16, by a plurality of cylindrical loops 19 formed on the top edge of plate 18 and spaced therealong, as shown in ice Figure 1. The loops 19 engage over the top edge of the wall 16 through horizontal slots 20 formed in the top marginal portion of wall 16, as shown in Figure '2. Thus, plate 18 is hingedly connected to the top edge of front wall 16 for rotation around said top edge from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 or conversely.

The plate 18 is formed at its opposite side edges with the forwardly projecting triangular flanges '21, said flanges 'being perpendicular "to the main body of plate 18 and being formed at their forward edges with the right-angled sub-flange portions 22 which are in opposing relationship, as shown in Figure '1. The opposing ,subflange portions 22 are connected .by .a horizontal rod 23, the ends of the rod being secured in any suitable manner to the intermediate portions of the sub-flange elements 122,;for example, by being welded ,thereto.

Designated at '24 is a second rectangular plate member which 'is hinged to the ,lower edge of plate 18, by spaced Thinge loops {25 on the lower edge of plate 18, the hinge loops engaging around the lower edge of the plate 24 and through slots 26 provided in the lower marginal portion of plate 24, as shown in Figure 2. The plate member 24 is thus rotatably connected to the lower edge of the plate member 18 and is restrained against outward rotation by the engagement of its side marginal portions with the inwardly projecting opposing sub-flange elements 22.

A pair of coiled springs 27 connect the top edge of the second plate 24 to the horizontal rod 23, biasing the plate 24 outwardly into engagement with the sub-flange elements 22, thus defining an elongated upwardly facing receptacle adapted to receive a cigarette, shown dotted at 28 in Figure 2.

In using the device, a lighted cigarette is inserted in the receptacle defined between the plate members 24 and 18, and the plate member 24 is then manually forced inwardly toward the plate member 18, whereby the cigarette 28 is crushed and is thus extinguished. After the cigarette has been extinguished, the plate member 24 is released, and the receptacle is then rotated around the top edge of the drawer front wall 16 to an inverted position, such as that shown in Figure 3.

Figure 1 shows the drawer 13 in extended position where the cigarette cannot be crushed unless the front wall 16 of the drawer is supported against the force applied thereto by the front plate 24. The drawer 13 should be moved to its closed position where the cigarette can be extinguished by being squeezed between the plates 24 and 18, the front wall 16 having its side edges engaged in the respective recesses 17 in order to provide the supporting force. The upper portion of the aperture 12 is shaped so that after the cigarette is extinguished and the plate 24 is released, the receptacle may be rotated to the inverted position thereof shown in Figure 3, a retaining flange 29 being provided in the top portion of the aperture 12 to engage the hinged edges of plate members 18 and 24 and to limit the inward rotation of the receptacle through the aperture 12 to a position wherein the receptacle is completely inverted, and whereby the crushed cigarette is free to drop into the drawer 13.

If so desired, the receptacle may be normally positioned in the condition shown in Figure 3, whereby the upper portion of the aperture 12 is normally closed. When it is desired to employ the cigarette extinguishing device, the plate members 18 and 24 may be easily swung to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

While a specific embodiment of an improved cigarette disposal device for use on motor vehicles, aircraft, railroad trains, or in any other location desired, such as in articles of furniture or the like, has been disclosed in'the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigarette disposal device, a vertical support, a horizontal drawer having a vertical front wall, means slidably mounting said drawer on said support for inward and outward movement with respect thereto, a first cigarette extinguishing plate hinged to the top edge of said front wall, a second cigarette extinguishing plate hinged to the bottom edge of said first plate, means limiting outward rotation of the second plate with respect to the first plate, and spring means biasing said second plate outwardly to define a cigarette-receiving receptacle between said second and first plates, said receptacle being swingable upwardly to an inverted position over the drawer.

2. In a cigarette disposal device, a vertical support, a

horizontal drawer having a vertical front wall, means slid;

ably mounting said drawer on said support for inward and outward movement with respect thereto, a first cigarette extinguishing plate hinged to the top edge of said front wall, a second cigarette extinguishing plate hinged to the bottom edge of said first plate, forwardly projecting flange elements on the end portions of the first plate 25 adapted to limit outward rotation of the second plate with respect to the first plate, and spring means biasing said second plate outwardly to define a cigarette-receiving receptacle between said second and first plates, said receptacle being swingable upwardly to an inverted position over the drawer.

3. In a cigarette disposal device, a vertical support, a horizontal drawer having a front wall, means slidably mounting said drawer on said support for inward and outward movement with respect thereto, a first cigaretteextinguishing plate hinged to the top edge of said front wall, a second cigarette-extinguishing plate hinged to the bottom edge of said first plate, forwardly projecting flange elements on the end portions of the first plate adapted to limit outward rotation of the second plate with respect to the first plate, a horizontal rod element connecting the forward edge portions of said flange elements, and spring means connecting the top edge portion of said second plate to said rod element adapted to bias said second plate forwardly to define a cigarette-receiving receptacle between said second and first plates, said receptacle being swingable upwardly to an inverted position over the drawer.

No references cited. 

